Display-case.



No. 839,438. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

R. TURNER, J11. DISPLAY CASE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT TURNER, JR, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO D. M.

MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DISPLAY-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed September 1906- Sfl fl 333.077-

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT TURNER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of WVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Display-Cases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention has for its object an improved display-case, the same being designed as an improvement upon a case of this description embodied in an application filed by me August 21, 1905, Serial No. 275,018, the case, as set forth in said application, being especially adapted as a display-case for packages of seeds or analogous articles, although I do not limit myself solely thereto.

As in said application, my improved case consists, essentially, of an inclosing body provided with a series of trays for holding the goods, the trays when the device is in use to display the goods being supported upon folding end brackets, the trays being removable, so that the brackets may be folded within the body of the case and the trays, stored away within said body in compact form for shipping and storage.

I carry out my invention as hereinafter de scribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one form of constructing the end brackets. Fig. 4 is a plan view with the cover and the trays removed, showing another modification in the construction of the end brackets. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective, illustrating my improved means for supporting the trays upon the end brackets. 4

The aim of my present invention is, more particularly, to provide improved means for supporting the trays upon the end brackets, whereby the trays will be held firmly in position and without liability of the trays sliding laterally.

In the drawings the body of the case is indicated at a, which may consist of an inclosing box provided with a hinged cover 1), arranged to fold down upon the top of the body or box when the trays are in stored position. The end brackets are indicated at c and d. These end brackets may be hinged at their lower edges to the bottom of the box, as indicated at e, Fig. 4, to fold downward into the bottom of the box, in which case the end brackets are not removable, or they may be connected by a back strip f, as shown in Fig. 3, the end brackets folding inward against the back strip, in which case the brackets and connecting back strip are removable from the box. A series of trays is indicated at g.

To support the trays upon the end brackets, my present invention contemplates securing upon the outer ends of the trays a metal tongue, (indicated at h,) which may consist of sheet metal bent into required shape to form a tongue, the metal being bent inward also to form a web, (indicated at i, Fig. 5,) the lateral edges of the metal being flanged to form an attaching-plate To receive the web 'L of the supporting device or tongue, the end brackets are provided with a series of upright kerfs or grooves, (indicated at l,) open at their upper ends. It will readily be seen that by such a construction the webs of the tongue may simply be lowered into the cor responding grooves, while the trays may be readily lifted to disengage them from the end brackets. Obviously this means of supporting the trays prevents any lateral movement of the trays, which is found to be an important and desirable feature in the construction of the display-case. The folding end brackets may be formed of sheet metal stamped or cut into desired form and provided wi.h supporting kerfs or grooves in the upper edges of the brackets. The tongue h will obviously project outside of the end brackets. This form 0. construction is found to be of superior efficiency and utility. The end brackets are stepped so that the trays may rise one above the other for the greater display of the goods. The folding end brackets may be made of any suitable material. For some purposes they may be made of paper, for example.

I do not limit myself solely to any particular way of fastening the tongues upon the ends of the trays, as it may be done in any suitable manner.

It will be observed that if an upper tray, for example, be slipped back of its proper position on the end bracket or a lower tray be slipped forward of its proper position there will be a liability of the packages to be in- ICC serted into the trays being accidentally dropped into the open space between the trays and down into the box, which liability is prevented by constructing the device as herein described, as the trays cannot get out of position and there will be no liability whatever of packages being accidentally dropped between the trays down-into the box.

' What I claim as my invention is- 1. A display-case having in combination an inclosing body, folding stepped end brackets located within the extremities of the body, and a series of trays, each of said trays and the end brackets having a tongueandgroove connection the one with the other, whereby the trays may be lifted vertically off from the steps of the brackets, and whereby the trays will be held from lateral movement when supported in the end brackets. a v

2. A display-case having in combination an inclosing body, folding stepped end braekets located within the extremities of the I body, and a series of trays each provided at the opposite extremities thereof with supporting-tongues, the end brackets being constructed with upright kerfs or grooves open at their upper ends to receive the corresponding tongues.

3. A display-caSe having in combination an inclosing body, folding stepped end brackets located within the extremities of the body provided with upright kerfs or grooves open at their upper ends, and a series of trays each provided at its opposite extremities with tongues to engage in the grooves of the end brackets, said tongues formed with a web to engage in said grooves, and with attaching-flanges.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT TURNER, JR. Witnesses;

N. S. l/VRIGHT, E. M. SrIELBURG. 

